Spring 2010

In addition to keynote speaker Zackie Achmat, Wittenberg will also recognize two of it s own during it s 165th Commencement Exercises, May 15. Richard P. Veler ’58, professor emeritus of English, general secretary emeritus of the university and former editor of Wittenberg Today, and Ho Pak Kong ’50, chairman of Lotus International and an emeritus member of the Board of Directors, will both be honored at the ceremony. Veler will receive the university’s highest non-academic award, the Wittenberg Medal of Honor, and Kong will be awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters for his contributions to education in Hong Kong. Vanessa Kerzner, Kong’s daughter, will accept the award on his behalf.

Barbara McVicker ’69 still remembers the night she got the call that she never expected. It was a night that changed her life, not only because she spent the next 10 years caring for her ailing parents, but because it eventually launched a whole new career path, educating others about what it means, and what it takes, to be a caregiver to elderly parents.

Taking a class with Fitz Smith, associate professor of English, clearly can inspire as evidenced by first-year student Taylor Hiner’s nationally recognized essay. Hiner, from North Lima, Ohio, and the entire class were challenged by Smith to write with the program “This I Believe” in mind. Founded in 2004 as “a not-for-profit organization that engages youth and adults from all walks of life in writing, sharing and discussing brief essays about the core values that guide their daily lives,” the program is “based on a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow.”

Themed “These Are a Few of My Favorite Things,” Wittenberg’s first of two Alumni Colleges this summer will feature 11 professors who received the Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching, the university’s top faculty prize.

Forever an outdoor enthusiast and avid gardener, Ohio native Linda McCabe Silich never thought her longtime interests would lead to national press. Yet, the well-known Hamptons landscaper has accomplished that and more with her company, Groundworks Landscaping, based in East Hampton, N.Y.

As the year draws to a close, my thoughts turn toward Commencement – that magical day each year when we see our seniors cross the stage to receive their Wittenberg diplomas. In that moment, I wish I could have all alumni and friends of Wittenberg with me to marvel at the transformation that has occurred in the lives of each and every graduate. Like me, you would be reminded of the incredible difference our faculty and staff make in the lives of our young people – becoming their mentors, friends and yes, family. We change lives every day here, and the results of our collective efforts reveal themselves in what I like to call “magical moments” – those times that unquestionably affirm the enduring quality and value of a Wittenberg education. Commencement is one of those moments, but there are many, many others.

Charlie Painter ’69 didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do with his life when he graduated from Wittenberg, but there were two things he did know: he wanted to teach, and he wanted to coach. Decades later, Painter owns more than 500 career coaching victories, but not in any of the sports he knew best while at college.